Kinder Morgan to Build $1.7B Texas Natural Gas Pipeline

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Kinder Morgan to Build $1.7B Texas Natural Gas Pipeline

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Sign of Kinder Morgan at Company headquarters in Houston, US (© Shutterstock/JHVEPhoto)
Sign of Kinder Morgan at Company headquarters in Houston, US (© Shutterstock/JHVEPhoto)

Kinder Morgan has approved the construction of its $1.7 billion Trident Intrastate Pipeline project in Texas, the company announced last week. 

The 216-mile pipeline will transport natural gas from near Katy, a hub for West Texas gas, to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) and industrial corridor near Port Arthur, terminating at the Golden Pass LNG terminal.

The 48- and 42-inch diameter mainline will have a capacity of approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/D). Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, is an anchor shipper on the project.

Kinder Morgan expects the pipeline to be in service in the first quarter of 2027, pending required permits and approvals.

The route avoids a direct path through Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city. Traversing Houston would present significant challenges due to complex right-of-way negotiations, the company said.

The pipeline route will extend north of Houston and the Sam Houston National Forest before turning southeast toward Port Arthur. Delivery points will be located in Grimes, San Jacinto, Liberty, Hardin, and Jefferson counties.

In a separate announcement, Kinder Morgan subsidiary Hiland Partners Holdings said it will acquire a natural gas gathering and processing system in North Dakota from Outrigger Energy II for $640 million.

According to reports, the acquisition includes a 270 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/D) processing facility and a 104-mile high-pressure rich-gas gathering header pipeline with 350 MMcf/D capacity. 

The pipeline connects supplies from the Williston Basin to high-demand markets, supported by long-term contracts with major customers in the basin. However, the transaction is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.